The fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft kicked off with a trade on Saturday. The Raiders acquired the 101st pick from the Bills and selected Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy. The Bills received pick 102 and a 2027 seventh-rounder in return, per Albert Breer of SI.com.
The 101st pick changed hands twice. The Bills acquired it from the Titans on Thursday before sending it to the Raiders. Las Vegas used the choice on one of the highest-upside corners in the draft. Once considered a shoo-in to go in the first round (perhaps in the top 10), McCoy’s stock dropped precipitously amid concerns over a cartilage defect in his knee.
McCoy missed all of last season with a torn ACL, but that is not what scared teams away. Rather, he may eventually require surgery to replace a bone plug in the same knee, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Another surgery would likely knock out McCoy for an entire year, according to Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson, who adds that an unsuccessful procedure could end his career.
While there are legitimate fears over McCoy’s longevity, the Raiders are nonetheless taking a mid-round flier on one of the most talented defenders in this class. McCoy was among the 20 best prospects available entering the proceedings, according to Dane Brugler of The Athletic (No. 14) and Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com (No. 19). The 6-foot, 188-pounder combined for six interceptions in a two-year college career split between Oregon State and Tennessee. He was a second-team All-American in 2024, his lone healthy season with the Volunteers.
McCoy is the second noteworthy offseason cornerback pickup for the Raiders, who previously added slot corner Taron Johnson in another trade with the Bills. If healthy, McCoy will join Eric Stokes and 2025 third-rounder Darien Porter among the Raiders’ top options on the outside.
A 7th rounder to move up a spot to take McCoy at the top of the 4th round? Why not? Great move for the Raiders. It could be argued it’s still a risky bet, but much less so at this point in the draft.
On the flip side of that, why trade out if you’re the Bills? They’ve already collected a bunch of extra picks, why not use one of them to gamble? Isn’t that the point of collecting those picks?
The even bigger head scratcher is why didn’t the Bills stay there & pick him? Haven’t they had problems at corner for years? A fourth round pick is not a major investment, especially for a first round talent.
Best pick of the draft. Worst case you wasted a 4th round pick. Best case you got a top corner for a 4th round pick.
Likely scenario, you got a starter in the 4th round.
Great pick! Even if he doesn’t play forever McCoy can be a true #1 CB Top 15 talent in the 4th rnd ya did good Spytek.